Four Reasons Why Women Supporting Women is the Key to Success
When I first published my book, Take Your Lunch Break, and didn’t get the support I expected especially from women I knew, I felt hurt. I aim to be a supportive friend and uplift other women, so it surprised me when others weren’t this way. I learned to be supportive of other women from my mother. Growing up, I observed my mother always rooting for other women and being kind to everyone. My mom has the biggest heart, encourages, and cheers for everyone, including other women. My mom even prays for those she doesn’t know and feels the pain of people suffering worldwide. When my mom sees a plane flying over her, she prays for their safe travels-how cute is she?! After growing up around a strong and compassionate woman like my mother, the real world was a rude awakening!
My research showed that women who support other women are more successful. According to Harvard Business Review, women benefit from collaboration over competition. Countless studies have shown that women who support women are more successful in business. So then, what’s the problem? Understanding why women are not supportive of other women before going into the value of helping other women is vital.
Somewhere along the line, society pitted us against each other in many areas of life, including career, appearance, and relationships. Society has made it so that women have unhealthy competition with each other. Women often see others as rivals and see supporting them as a threat to their own success or happiness. Which is simply not true.
Women have limited representation, so women may feel that there’s limited space for women at the top, resulting in a scarcity mentality. Women believe they must compete for opportunities, making it challenging to support other women. There is enough space for all of us to win, but with a scarcity mentality, you believe the opposite.
Women may feel jealous of other successful women because they long for the same. While jealousy is a natural human emotion, if left unchecked, it can lead to feelings of insecurity, damaged relationships, and low self-esteem. Practicing gratitude and focusing on what you have instead of what you lack can help in these situations.
These are four reasons women should consider supporting other women:
Stronger together: Realizing we are all on the same team is huge. The shine theory says that when we celebrate other women, we all shine! When women support other women, we can break stereotypes, such as women are not as capable as men, or they are too emotional to lead. By celebrating each other’s successes, women show that emotions and vulnerability are not weaknesses but strengths!
Empower women: as the saying goes, empowered women empower women. Women face many challenges, such as unequal pay, stereotypes, gender-based violence, and workplace discrimination, but when we stand together, we create a supportive environment to learn from each other by sharing experiences and advice. When women empower other women, it creates a ripple effect that inspires other women to do the same! When you publicly praise another woman, you show you are a leader, a supportive team player, and secure in yourself.
Build confidence: When women uplift other women, it creates a sense of belonging and validation. This validation helps women realize their potential and gain confidence in their abilities. Confidence is critical in life, career, and relationship success.
Change society: when women root for each other, we can challenge systemic inequality and create a more equitable society. Together we can change cultural norms and become a powerful force for meaningful change.
Changing our behavior of being unsupportive requires awareness, education, and a conscious effort. We can change the narrative when women realize we can all win and succeed. We should celebrate each other, no matter our differences, and together we can achieve great heights!
Until next time, take care of yourself!
